Physicists To Test If Universe Is A Computer Simulation

#1

Post by ilovekhym » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 1:51 AM UTC

Physicists To Test If Universe Is A Computer Simulation
huffingtonpost.co.uk

Re: Physicists To Test If Universe Is A Computer Simulation

#2

Post by astrodust » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 2:08 AM UTC

I really hope they don't accidentally trigger a divide by zero error and we have to start over again.

Re: Physicists To Test If Universe Is A Computer Simulation

#3

Post by seanmcdirmid » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 2:14 AM UTC

astrodust wrote: post #2

I really hope they don't accidentally trigger a divide by zero error and we have to start over again.

Imagine if you not only realized you were living in a simulation but that the simulation involved randomness (god playing dice) and you could somehow force backtracking with a simple button so that different values were chosen. Now, play the lottery and hit that button whenever you don't win; you could then surface an unlikely universe where you get really lucky.

Re: Physicists To Test If Universe Is A Computer Simulation

#4

Post by joezydeco » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 2:15 AM UTC

If I wake up naked and sliding down a drain pipe, I'm gonna be really upset...

Re: Physicists To Test If Universe Is A Computer Simulation

#5

Post by mikeash » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 2:15 AM UTC

astrodust wrote: post #2

I really hope they don't accidentally trigger a divide by zero error and we have to start over again.

I'm sure they do checkpointing and can roll back in the event of a problem. This has probably happened many times already.

Re: Physicists To Test If Universe Is A Computer Simulation

#6

Post by spoiler » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 2:15 AM UTC

Well, this explains all the bugs and glitches in life like disease, death, assbutts, war, famine, broken hearts...

Re: Physicists To Test If Universe Is A Computer Simulation

#7

Post by chatmasta » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 2:21 AM UTC

Link to their project proposal (Cornell): http://arxiv.org/pdf/1210.1847v2.pdf

Re: Physicists To Test If Universe Is A Computer Simulation

#8

Post by aswanson » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 2:26 AM UTC

And if it has? Well, then the statistical likelihood is that we're located somewhere in that chain of simulations within simulations. The alternative - that we're the first civilisation, in the first universe - is virtually (no pun intended) absurd.

wrong. there are multiple alternatives; we are the nth civilization in a real universe, we are the nth to the nth civilization in the multiverse, etc. Sloppy sensationalism and bad statistical reasoning in this article.

Re: Physicists To Test If Universe Is A Computer Simulation

#9

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 2:26 AM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Physicists To Test If Universe Is A Computer Simulation

#10

Post by cscheid » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 2:26 AM UTC

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #3

astrodust wrote: post #2

I really hope they don't accidentally trigger a divide by zero error and we have to start over again.

Imagine if you not only realized you were living in a simulation but that the simulation involved randomness (god playing dice) and you could somehow force backtracking with a simple button so that different values were chosen. Now, play the lottery and hit that button whenever you don't win; you could then surface an unlikely universe where you get really lucky.

Have you heard of Max Tegmark's quantum suicide argument? If you believe it sufficiently, well, buy a lottery ticket and cyanide, and really commit yourself to it :)

(No, please, do NOT do this.)